Cooling unit for refrigerators



Dem. 3,, 1929., c. c. SPREEN COOLING UNIT FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed April 11, 1927 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. SPREEN, OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KELVINATOR CORPORA- TION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN COOLING UNIT FOR REFRIGERATORS Application filed April 11,

My invention relates to mechanical refrigerating apparatus, and more particularly a container for receiving and supporting food.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanical refrigerating apparatus in which an evaporator structure is provided with loops for the reception of ice forming trays and edible substances.

These and other objects will appear more fully in the following description of an embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a domestic refrigerator having mechanical refrigerating apparatus embodying my invention installed therewith.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference, 11 represents a refrigerator having a horizontal partition defining a base compartimnt 12 for housing refrigerating mechanism including a motor 13, a compressor 14 and condenser 15, and an upper refrigerated food storage compartment 16. The front of the food compartment is provided with an opening 17 which is closed by a door 18 consisting preferably of a frame 19 and a glass panel 20.

A liquid refrigerant containing vaporizer header 23 is supportedwithin the storage compartment from the top wall 21 by means of cradles 22, and is connected with the coinpressor 14 and the condenser 15 by conduits 28 and 29 respectively. The header is provided with the conventional float controlled valve (not shown) for maintaining a constant level of refrigerant therein, and the refrigerating apparatus is of a well-known com n-essor-condenser-expansion type, so that further description of the apparatus is not deemed necessary.

The evaporator includes the header 23 and 1927. Serial No. 182,709.

a plurality of spaced U shaped inner loops 24 arranged in alignment;longitudinally of the header, and a plurality ofjspaced U shaped outer loops 26 arranged in alignment longitudinally of the header. The open-ends of the loops 24 and 26 are secured to the header and in open communication therewith below the level of the liquid refrigerant, so that they will be constantly filled with liquid refrigerant. The inner loops are small and take up very little space within the refrigerator chamber, and a sleeve 25 is arranged to extend lengthwise of the header within the loops 24 and in thermal contact therewith, for the purpose of receiving a pan of water for forming ice. The exterior loops 26 are preferably formed to extend adjacent the walls of the food storage chamber beneath the header, and receive and support food to be stored within the chamber. Shelves 27 extend horizontally between the legs of the exterior loops 26 and are attached thereto, as shown at 31, for supporting food within the chamber. A thermometer 30 is arranged exteriorly of the refrigerator and is connected to be affected by the temperature within the food storage chamber so that external observations can readily be made.

It will be seen that the evaporator described besides maintaining a desired temperature serves as a receptacle for supporting me trays and food. The sleeve and shelves being in thermal contact with the evaporator loops and arranged internally thereof promotes eflicient and rapid heat transfer-from material stored within the chamber.

Various changes can be made inthe structure described herein without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In apparatus for transferring heatfrom a refrigerator chamber, a vaporizer Within the chamber comprising a header for containing liquid refrigerant, and a. plurality of pipe loops depending from and in open communication with the lower portion of said header, said loops being in longitudinal alignment and extending adjacent the walls of the chamber beneath said header and defining a food storage space. i

2. In apparatus for transferring heat from a refrigerator chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber comprising a header for containing liquid refrigerant, a plurality of longitudinally aligned pipe loops depending from and in open communication with the lower portion of said header, said loops extending adjacent the walls of the chamber beneath said header, and food supporting shelves extending horizontally between and secured to the legs of said pipe loops.

'3. In apparatus for transferring heat from a refrigerator chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber comprising a header for containing liquid refrigerant, a plurality of inner longitudinally aligned pipe loops depending from and in open communication with the lower portion of said header defining a freezing zone, a plurality of outer longitudinally aligned pipe loops depending from and in open communication with the lower portion of said header, said outer loops extending in close proximity to the walls of the chamber beneath said header, and food supporting means secured to and supported entirely by said inner andouter pipe loops.

4. In apparatus for transferring heat from a refrigerator chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber comprising a header for containing liquid refrigerant, a plurality of inner longitudinally aligned pipe loops depending from and in open communication with said header to define a compartment for freezing Water, a plurality of outer longitudinally aligned pipe loop's depending from and in open communication with said header, said outer loops extending adjacent the walls of said chamber beneath said header, and horizontally extending food supporting shelves beneath said inner pipe loops secured to said outer pipe loops.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus a cooling unit comprising a plurality of refrigerant expansion tubes arranged to form two spaced sets of loops, one set surrounding the other and each set having its loops substantially in longitudinal alignment, means in intimate metallic contact with the inner set of loops for supporting fluid freezing trays, and means in intimate contact with the outer set of loops for supporting food.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit comprising a plurality of refrigerant expansion tubes arranged to form two spaced sets of loops, one set surrounding the other and each set having its loops substantially in longitudinal alignment, means within said' in ner set of loops for supporting fluid freezing containers, and means within said outer set of loops for supporting food.

7. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit including an elongated header having inner and outer rows of opposed refrigerant expansion loops extending downwardly from said header in spaced apart upright planes longitudinally of said header, the inner rows of duct means being of less length than said outer rows, means'within said inner rows of duct means providing a freezingzone, and means between the outer rows of duct means and below said inner rows of duct means for supporting food.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit including an elongated header, an inner set of pipe loops depending from said header and arranged substantially in longitudinal alignment to provide a freezing zone, and an outer set of pipe loops depending from said header and spaced from said inner set of pipe loops to provide a food storage zone between said sets of pipe loops.

9. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit including a receptacle for containing liquid refrigerant, and a plurality of pipe loops in communication with said receptacle below the level of liquid refrigerant therein, said pipe loops being arranged to define a freezing zone adjacent said receptacle and a food storage zone exteriorly of said freezing zone.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES C. SPREEN. 

